Jesus didn't want her stoned, Jesus forgave her.
"Neither do I condemn you," does not equal "I forgive you."
In fact, if she is not condemned then there is nothing for which to forgive her.
She was presented with ample witnesses to convict her of her guilt.
Except for the fact that they all left, leaving 0 witnesses. That's less than two (2), in case you didn't know.
Jesus could have asked the town folk to go get the men involved as I am sure that the town folk knew exactly who those people were.
Why do you assume there was more than one man?
Also, I should hope they would know, since the Law required them to be caught in the act in order for them to be punished. If they didn't know then they weren't caught in the act and the men who brought the woman to Jesus were lying.
Yet Jesus used the moment to teach something that is much MUCH harder for people to learn: forgiveness. Jesus forgave her and today there are a great many "Christians" that would stone her.
Forgiveness for what? What did those men have to forgive? She didn't sin against them.
The judge is not required to witness the even he is judging.
I never said he was. The issue is that Jesus was not a recognized judge. Also, the hands of the witnesses are to be the first to throw stones; then everyone else. Since there were no witnesses to throw the first stones, and Jesus was not a witness, He could not throw any stones [even if He had been a recognized judge].
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]“[/FONT][/FONT]The hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hands of all the people.[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]”[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][/FONT][/FONT]-Deuteronomy 17:7
And if Jesus had been the judge what about the priests? Or vice versa?
Then there's the fact that they were only to be brought before the priest and judge if the community could not decide on a judgment or punishment. With the Law being clear on what the punishment was to be there was no reason for them to go to the priests [Levites] and the judge.
Oh, that's right, there was to be more than one priest as well.
“If a matter arises which is too hard for you to judge, between degrees of guilt for bloodshed, between one judgment or another, or between one punishment or another, matters of controversy within your gates, then you shall arise and go up to the place which the Lord your God chooses. And you shall come to the
priests, the Levites, and to the judge
there in those days, and inquire
of them; they shall pronounce upon you the sentence of judgment.[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]”[/FONT][/FONT]
-Deuteronomy 17:8-9
Unless He happens to be incarnate on the Earth at the particular moment, then, according to your interpretation, He loses His authority to judge.
You know He was God incarnate. I know He was God incarnate. Those men did not. Otherwise this scenario would not have taken place.
This they said, testing Him, that they might have
something of which to accuse Him.
-John 8:6
Would you have tried to trick Him so you could accuse Him of wrongdoing if you knew who He truly was? Of course not!
But He didn't do that, did He. Since they were trying to lay a trap for Him they would have all jumped up and yelled, "Got Ya!"
Exactly! That is exactly what they would have done. And you want to know something else? That's also what they would have done if He had simply said, [FONT=Verdana, sans-serif][FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]“No.”[/FONT][/FONT]
You did understand that, didn't you?
Instead, He taught that the woman was justly accused under the law and deserving of stoning. This is obvious from the phrase where He says, "...cast the first stone."
And yet He did not cast a stone, though He was without sin. Why?
However, Jesus also taught that to be worthy to carry out the sentence on the guilty women you had better first examine your sins to see if you are also guilty of something deserving of death. (Let he who is without sin..)
What was their sin?
As to the writing on the ground, He was writing His name. Prove me wrong.
An argument from silence. And also the act of a petulant child.